The invention relates to devices for delivering heated and chilled purified water, and more particularly to such systems which avoid common contamination by airborne bacteria, contaminants, etc., and by germs, contaminants, etc., carried by the hands of the users, and more particularly to an ergonomic design of such a purified water delivery system.
Manufacture and sale of hot/cold drinking water delivery systems for residential and commercial use is a large worldwide industry. Various sources of purified water, such as reverse osmosis filters, activated charcoal filters, and the like frequently are utilized in such systems to remove viruses, bacteria, pyrogens, carcinogens, pesticides, detergents, radioactive contaminants, and other contaminants from drinking water. Most prior delivery systems are "open" systems in which bottled water, usually supplied in five gallon containers, is poured into an open reservoir from the inverted delivery bottle. An electrical heating unit typically is utilized to heat water delivered to a hot water spigot with a depressible control valve located an inch or so above the delivery tube. Cold water is provided by a heavy, electrical compressor unit that chills the water in the open reservoir. Other prior systems receive pressurized water. Paper cup dispensers frequently are attached to such machines, but paper cups other than the one which the present user intends to drink from often are touched by the hand of the user because several cups are often dispensed when only one is desired. The user frequently attempts to push the undesired cups back into the dispenser, possibly transmitting bacteria, germs, or contaminants to them. Frequently, when the prior paper cup dispensers are initially loaded, quite a number of the paper cups being loaded will be touched by the hands of the person loading them. Contaminants from the hands of persons actuating the dispensing valves also may find their way to the mouths of the delivery nozzles and into a drinking cup due to the close spacing of the valves to the nozzle.
Thus, the state-of-the-art for pure water delivery systems is that they are much more subject to contamination from airborne substances and human-carried substances than is generally realized. Furthermore, the presently available systems are rarely if ever thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by maintenance personnel.
Most existing bottled water dispensing units require the user to pick up a full five gallon bottle, which weighs over 40 pounds, invert it, and position it into the mouth of the open holding tank. This frequently causes spills, operator injury, and transfer of contaminants from the mouth and neck of the water bottled to water in the holding tank.
In the past, when sealed "food grade" containers have been manufactured for various purposes, tubes connected to such tanks have been silver soldered thereto. The resins used in the soldering operations are toxic, so it is necessary to clean the interiors of the tanks after the silver soldering operation. Unfortunately, the cleaning materials frequently also are toxic.
There is a need for an economical purified water delivery system for dispensing room temperature water, hot water, and cold water which avoids contamination from airborne bacteria and other contaminants, and also avoids contamination from the hands of users, and which does not require frequent cleaning and disinfecting to maintain a high level of purity of dispensed water.